Confession
by Yukirei
Summary: [Silver Pair] 3. Ootori has something to say to Shishido 2. Ootori confesses to Shishido about his past relationships. [Written based on one of Shiy's answers for a 25Q meme.] 1. Shishido contemplates his feelings about graduation.
1. Shishido to Ootori

**Confession  
**_By Yukirei (a.k.a. Cosmiko Ling)_

**Pairing:** Silver Pair  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Prince of Tennis or any of its characters. This is a non-profit fanfiction written by a fan for the enjoyment of other fans.  
**Summary:** Shishido contemplates his feelings about graduation. Featuring a frustrated!Shishido, omnipotent!Atobe and abnormallysilent!Oshitari  
**A/N:** First of three ficlets written for Shiy for her request (pairing: Silver Pair; prompt: confession) in my latest fanwork meme.

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Shishido gave a frustrated growl as he sat down, ignoring the curious stares from the other third year regulars present in the clubroom.

"What's the matter, Shishido? Is Ootori not being receptive to your advances today?"

"Shut it, Mukahi. Choutarou and I aren't like that."

"So _you_ say. I wonder if Ootori will sing a different tune if we ask him. Ne, Yuushi?"

"Hmm." Oshitari smirked.

Shishido stood up, hands balled in fists.

Gakuto slipped behind Oshitari who curled an arm around him protectively.

"Cool off, Shishido," Atobe said lightly from where he sat, browsing hotel banquet catalogues for the third year regulars' graduation dinner.

"Tell _Mukahi_ to get off my back," Shishido snapped, plomping into the sofa. The impact roused Jirou, who was sleeping at the other end; Jirou merely smacked his lips a few times before snuggling deeper into the sofa.

Atobe cast an assessing glance at Shishido.

"Kabaji."

"Usu."

"Take the rest of the regulars out of the clubroom."

"Usu."

Throwing Jirou over his shoulder, Kabaji herded Oshitari and Gakuto out of the room, Gakuto protesting loudly and Oshitari flicking a thoughtful look at Atobe before walking out.

The door closed behind them and the clubroom was abruptly thrown into complete silence.

Atobe casually tossed aside the booklet he was browsing, and leant into his armchair.

"So Shishido, now that everyone else has been kicked out, are you going to tell ore-sama what's making you even more irritable than usual?"

Shishido remained sulkily silent.

"It isn't like you to be so wishy-washy."

Shishido hated to admit it, but he _was_ being unusually "wishy-washy" about the whole affair. He had been stewing over it for over a week now, but had yet to make a single bit of progress.

In a few weeks' time, the third years would graduate from their various clubs and societies as the time to prepare for their final examinations approached. Then, in the blink of an eye, it would be the final exam and after that, graduation from junior high. In the next school year, most of the former third years would meet again as freshmen in their affiliated high school, given Hyoutei's escalator system.

Shishido would be one of them. He would probably join the high school tennis club, continue playing tennis and carry on his climb towards the top, perhaps play doubles... with a new doubles partner.

The thought shouldn't be unappealing to him.

The Hyoutei tennis club awarded regular positions - whether the main regular team or the reserve regular teams - on merit alone. As players strengthened at different paces and overtook the present players on the regulars or reserve teams, doubles partners who couldn't keep up were sometimes forced to split. And if the remaining partner was neither strong enough to play in a singles position nor flexible enough to adapt to pairing with a different player, he would soon also leave the regular ranks. Such was the harsh, unfeeling meritocracy system that kept Hyoutei's tennis club one of the best in Japan.

Therefore, to Shishido who often outlasted his partners on the regular teams, the thought of having a new doubles partner hadn't before been and shouldn't now be this repulsive.

Yet, Shishido found himself disliking the idea of a new doubles partner that was not Ootori, and even more that Ootori might find a new partner (though now that he had perfected his Scud Serve, Shishido was confident that Ootori would be strong enough to hold his own playing singles). This foreign feeling made him frustrated and annoyed, with himself and with the world at large.

"Don't you see, Shishido?" Atobe's unperturbed voice broke into Shishido's thoughts. "The boy has walls around his heart that are taller than himself - so distantly polite he is with everyone. You are the only one in Hyoutei who he allows to even peer in."

Shishido stared at Atobe wordlessly, eyes narrowed.

"Yes, do be besotted by the magnificence of ore-sama's astuteness."

Atobe flicked a glance at Shishido out of the corner of his eye.

"Tell him how you feel, Shishido."

There was a moment of silence. Then, Shishido snorted. Standing up, he slung his bag over one shoulder and looked back at Atobe over the shoulder.

"Turns out you're an even bigger busybody than Mukahi. Better watch your image, Captain."

Leaving those words, Shishido strode to the door, pausing only as his hand touched the handle. Without turning, he gave a grunt that _might_ have been a gruff "thanks", and then slipped out of the door.

Left alone in the clubroom, Atobe smiled smugly and picked up his catalogue once more.

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Date written: 15-17 December 2006 

Thanks for reading. Feedback and concrit are welcome and appreciated.

If you're not into crack, I suggest skipping the 2nd ficlet and going straight to the 3rd.


	2. Ootori to Shishido: crack version

**Confession  
**_By Yukirei (a.k.a. Cosmiko Ling)_

**Pairing:** Silver Pair  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Prince of Tennis or any of its characters. This is a non-profit fanfiction written by a fan for the enjoyment of other fans.  
**Summary:** Written based on one of Shiy's answers for a 25Q meme: _Ootori and Hiyoshi have always been very happy together, until Hiyoshi ran away with Eiji. Ootori was very sad, and had a one-night-stand with Oshitari, and then had a short and unhappy relationship with Tezuka. Later, upon listening to Jirou's suggestion, he finally found his true love - Shishido_  
**Warning: CRACK **(If you don't like crack, please await the third part which will be the non-crack version.)  
**A/N:** Second of three ficlets written for Shiy for her request (pairing: Silver Pair; prompt: confession) in my latest fanwork meme.

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"Shishido-san..." Ootori trailed off.

"Yea?" Shishido cast a glance at the reflection of Ootori in one of the mirrors that covered the walls of the Hyoutei regulars' gym, not moving from where he was sitting on a bench, lifting a dumbbell.

"Nothing." Meeting Shishido's eyes in the mirror, Ootori hastily looked away.

"Oi," Shishido turned around, setting down the dumbbell and throwing one leg over the bench. Ootori had been behaving strangely for the past few days. "What is it?"

"Actually, I have something to confess... about my past relationships before you."

"You mean going out with Hiyoshi in your first year? You've told me about that before."

"Aa, yes. It's... something after he left me."

"Choutarou, I don't give a damn who you used to see in the past, as long as you're not seeing them now. So don't let them affect you, k?"

There was a long pause. "Shishido-san, I need to be completely honest with you, or I will feel a heavy weight in my heart." Ootori finally said, not pausing for breath in the whole long sentence. "It's... someone you know."

"Oh?" Shishido tried to appear uninterested. "From Hyoutei again?"

Ootori shook his head.

"It's Tezuka-san from Seishun Gakuen."

"WHAT THE HELL!" Shishido jumped to his feet. "THAT POKER-FACE CAPTAIN _TEZUKA KUNIMITSU_ FROM SEIGAKU?!"

"Shishido-san!" Ootori cried, upset. "Please calm down!"

Shishido removed his cap and put it back on in frustration. Then sat down again.

"When was this." He questioned through gritted teeth.

"Be-before the Kantou tournament. Before we practised tennis together." Ootori paused, and when Shishisdo made no response, he continued, "Tezuka-san is actually in a serious relationship with another Seigaku regular, Fuji-san. But he and Fuji-san were going through a rough patch when I met him, and at the time, Hiyoshi-kun had just left me. He needed someone to make Fuji-san jealous and-"

"HE WAS SIMPLY MAKING USE OF YOU TO MAKE HIS BOYFRIEND JEALOUS?!" Shishido jumped up again.

"-AND I NEEDED COMPANY."

Shishido looked up at him, and their eyes remained locked for a long moment. Then, Shishido sat back down quietly.

"And also, between Hiyoshi-kun and Tezuka-san-"

"What? There's more?" Shishido stopped immediately as he saw the colour drain further from Ootori's face at his reaction. "Just continue," he snapped quietly.

"...I spent a night with Oshitari-san." Ootori's voice lowered to barely a whisper.

"**OSHITARI!!!?** THAT PERVERTED WOLF! I'LL KILL HIM!" Shishido jumped up again, ready to burst through the door, find Oshitari in the courts and pummel him to death right there and then.

"Shishido-san!" Ootori placed his hands on Shishido's shoulders, holding him down firmly. Shishido struggled.

"I'LL KILL HIM!"

"Please!"

Shishido stopped struggling, but was still breathing heavily, eyes blazing.

"Please," Ootori repeated. "I told you these because I wanted to be completely honest with you."

Shishido stood motionless, simply exhaling and inhaling, for a long moment.

Finally, he said, "I told you I don't give a damn about your past relationships. But," Shishido looked up and stared intensely into Ootori's eyes. "If anyone dares hurt you from this moment on, you'll tell me and I'll get them for you." His tone softened. "Got it, Choutarou?"

Ootori sniffed, and smiled as he nodded. "Got it."

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Date written: 15-17 December 2006 

Thanks for reading. Feedback is most welcome.


	3. Ootori to Shishido: serious version

**Confession  
**_By Yukirei (a.k.a. Cosmiko Ling)_

**Pairing:** Silver Pair  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Prince of Tennis or any of its characters. This is a non-profit fanfiction written by a fan for the enjoyment of other fans.  
**Summary:** Ootori has something to say to Shishido  
**Warning: **Saaaaap and abusive use of "Shishido-san" :P  
**A/N:** Finally, the non-crack version of the 2nd ficlet.  
Last of three ficlets written for Shiy for her request (pairing: Silver Pair; prompt: confession) in my latest fanwork meme.

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"Shishido-san..." Ootori trailed off.

"Yea?" Shishido cast a glance at the reflection of Ootori in one of the mirrors that covered the walls of the Hyoutei regulars' gym, not moving from where he was sitting on a bench, lifting a dumbbell.

"Nothing." Meeting Shishido's eyes in the mirror, Ootori hastily looked away.

"Oi Choutarou," Shishido turned around, setting down the dumbbell and throwing one leg over the bench. Ootori had been behaving strangely for the past few days. "What is it?"

"It's really nothing," Ootori reinstated, a miserable frown creeping onto his face. "Aa, I've to go now. My cat needs her feeding."

"Oi!" Shishido swung his other leg over the bench, jumped to his feet, took a big step forward, grabbed Ootori's arm - all in two seconds. "You didn't come here for nothing. What's the matter?"

Ootori looked trapped. "Shishido-san, it's _really_-"

"Not nothing," Shishido finished for him. He was frowning too - at Ootori's reaction. Ootori was clearly upset about something, but what the hell, he didn't trust Shishido enough to say it?

"Choutarou." Shishido's voice was uncharacteristically gentle as he called his doubles partner's name. The vice-like grip on his arm loosened, but didn't leave.

"Shishido-san..." Ootori looked down at Shishido with pleading eyes. He regretted acting on an impulse, if only he could leave now...

"Tell me what has been troubling you these past few days, Choutarou." It was still that same gentle voice, though this sentence contained some firmness previously absent.

Ootori's eyes widened briefly. He had noticed?

Taking a deep breath, Ootori stepped away from Shishido, bringing his feet together and standing formally straight.

Shishido let his hand fall away from Ootori and looked up at him, bemused.

"Shishido-san..."

Suddenly, Ootori made a ninety-degree bow.

"I've liked you since the beginning of this year. Please go out with me." Ootori said in a rush, then closed his eyes and braced himself, breathing hard.

"!! _What the_--!" Shishido began, tone incredulous, then broke off.

Ootori stiffened at that, half-rose from his bow and bowed again. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble, Shishido-san."

He straightened, moved to flee, was yanked back once more by a pressure on his arm.

"Shi-Shishido-san..." Ootori turned to meet Shishido's intense gaze.

Shishido said nothing, but raised his left hand high above his head.

Ootori tensed.

Then, he felt a light knock on his forehead.

"Idiot," Shishido scolded, not yet letting go of Ootori's arm.

"Shishido-san?"

"How'd that be different from the way we are now?" Shishido asked shortly as he averted his eyes, finally removing his hand from Ootori's arm to adjust his already-crooked cap with both hands. A faint smile brushed his lips for a fleeting moment.

Ootori's face literally lit up. "You mean..."

"Whatever you're thinking I mean, that's not it." Shishido scowled. He turned, walking to the bench. "Let's go out to the courts and have a game, Choutarou. I've had enough of these dumbbells for today."

Ootori smiled, waiting as Shishido gathered his things. "Ok, Shishido-san."

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Date written: 15-17 December 2006 

Thanks for reading. Feedback and concrit are welcome and appreciated.


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